Congee is one of my favorite things, especially in the rainy season or the cold winter. It feels so nourishing and is so easy to make. It’s also very versatile, if you are vegetarian or vegan, you can certainly substitute chicken for butternut squash or I’ve seen it with mushrooms, so many different variations out there!
Congee is also great base, if I’m doing a butternut squash congee then maybe I’m adding a lightly hard boiled egg with it and piling on some veggies like roasted asparagus or broccoli. Also don’t be a afraid to dress it up as I like to say- drizzle some sesame oil, oyster sauce, chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame seeds, cilantro, scallions, coconut aminos and you don’t have to keep it in the Asian family — you can branch out with olive oil, tahini, truffles, pine nuts, pesto, get creative!
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 or 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger (or more)
4 scallions chopped
4 medium carrots peeled and chopped
1 pound boneless chicken breasts (Bell and Evans are my favorite)
1 cup white jasmine rice rinsed well
6 cups chicken bone broth, chicken stock or water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chopped cilantro
DIRECTIONS
Press SAUTÉ on your Instant Pot, add the oil, once it’s hot, add ginger. Sauté for about a minute, until fragrant, don’t let it burn. Then add the scallions, carrots, and chicken breasts, rice, water, and salt.
Press CANCEL. Move the valve to SEALING position. Then cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, take out the chicken and shred it with two forks on a cutting board. It should fall apart very easily. Return to the pot and stir in.
Serve in bowls, garnished with cilantro, more scallions if you like, a drizzle some sesame oil, oyster sauce, chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame seeds, cilantro, scallions, coconut aminos and enjoy!
Note: Because the consistency is thick when reheating leftovers, I like to add a little bit of water to a pot and reheat on the stove over medium-low heat.
